Oh, the hijinks on the test server! The randomness of the new game modes made for some really interesting stuff. I was trying to unlock French SPGs and the MM was taking forever. Finally, it threw us into a battle with five SPGs, 1 TD and 1 light tank per side. It was assault mode, where there is only 1 base and the attackers have to capture it, and we were attacking.
We were on Karelia, so I came up the left side into the open to see what I could shoot (playing the tier III SPG) and managed to damage a couple of the enemy units. Eventually, it gets down to me and one other SPG on our side against two SPGs and their TD, who managed to not spot me in my slow crawl to the base, and then ignore me when I started to cap. Their SPGs try to fire on me at the base, but I'm behind a rock. They decide to try to rush me, and they both missed their direct fire shots, while I manage to hit both of mine. The TD never came back, and I got an Invader medal on an SPG for 100% cap.
The next one was El Halluf on encounter (one neutral base, first team to cap wins), and I was in my KV-3. I managed to take some chunks out of the premium JT, an IS-6, an M103 and another high-tier heavy before I got blown into the sky by an enemy S-51 because I couldn't back out of the spot I was in fast enough. It gets down to the wire, trading cap points back and forth, until there are only two SPGs left on each side and no tanks.
Their SPG goes for the cap, and our M41 manages a direct fire shot from the hill and gets him in one hit. The enemy S-51 managed to get our other SPG, leaving just the M41 and the S-51 to duke it out for the win. They both make it to the base, but there is 1) a huge rock on one side of the cap circle, and 2) about 25 dead tanks in their way of each other. The M41 manages to outmaneuver the S-51, but misses his shot. The S-51 flubs his shot, then they dance for two more minutes. Finally, the S-51 gets stuck and the M41 lands a nice killing blow with less than 30 seconds on the clock.
Overall, I like both of the new modes. The spawns and bases are not in the same place as standard attack mode, so it requires new tactics for all types of vehicles to be effective.
We were on Karelia, so I came up the left side into the open to see what I could shoot (playing the tier III SPG) and managed to damage a couple of the enemy units. Eventually, it gets down to me and one other SPG on our side against two SPGs and their TD, who managed to not spot me in my slow crawl to the base, and then ignore me when I started to cap. Their SPGs try to fire on me at the base, but I'm behind a rock. They decide to try to rush me, and they both missed their direct fire shots, while I manage to hit both of mine. The TD never came back, and I got an Invader medal on an SPG for 100% cap.
The next one was El Halluf on encounter (one neutral base, first team to cap wins), and I was in my KV-3. I managed to take some chunks out of the premium JT, an IS-6, an M103 and another high-tier heavy before I got blown into the sky by an enemy S-51 because I couldn't back out of the spot I was in fast enough. It gets down to the wire, trading cap points back and forth, until there are only two SPGs left on each side and no tanks.
Their SPG goes for the cap, and our M41 manages a direct fire shot from the hill and gets him in one hit. The enemy S-51 managed to get our other SPG, leaving just the M41 and the S-51 to duke it out for the win. They both make it to the base, but there is 1) a huge rock on one side of the cap circle, and 2) about 25 dead tanks in their way of each other. The M41 manages to outmaneuver the S-51, but misses his shot. The S-51 flubs his shot, then they dance for two more minutes. Finally, the S-51 gets stuck and the M41 lands a nice killing blow with less than 30 seconds on the clock.
Overall, I like both of the new modes. The spawns and bases are not in the same place as standard attack mode, so it requires new tactics for all types of vehicles to be effective.